U.S. patent application number 10/157124 was filed with the patent office on 2003-04-03 for outboard motor electronic part unit.
This patent application is currently assigned to KEIHIN CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Fujima, Akifumi, Kamata, Ryosuke, Kashima, Takao, Kezuka, Takamasa, Kimata, Ryuichi, Saito, Yasushi.
Application Number | 20030064640 10/157124 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19125483 |
Filed Date | 2003-04-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030064640 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Saito, Yasushi ; et
al. |
April 3, 2003 |
Outboard motor electronic part unit
Abstract
An outboard motor electronic part unit provided between an
engine for a boat and a cover covering the engine, comprises a case
which is attached to the engine or the cover and is provided along
a space formed between the engine and the cover; and a circuit
board equipped with a connector which is housed and fixed in the
case, wherein an inclined surface in which a height thereof is
large near the connector and small near a distal portion far from
the connector, is provided in the case.
Inventors: |
Saito, Yasushi;
(Utsunomiya-shi, JP) ; Kamata, Ryosuke;
(Shioya-gun, JP) ; Kezuka, Takamasa;
(Utsunomiya-shi, JP) ; Fujima, Akifumi;
(Asaka-shi, JP) ; Kashima, Takao; (Hidaka-shi,
JP) ; Kimata, Ryuichi; (Yoshikawa-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARENT FOX KINTNER PLOTKIN & KAHN, PLLC
Suite 600
1050 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington
DC
20036-5339
US
|
Assignee: |
KEIHIN CORPORATION
|
Family ID: |
19125483 |
Appl. No.: |
10/157124 |
Filed: |
May 30, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
440/77 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02B 61/045 20130101;
F02D 41/3005 20130101; F02D 2400/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
440/77 |
International
Class: |
B63H 020/32 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 1, 2001 |
JP |
P2001-305738 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An outboard motor electronic part unit provided between an
engine for a boat and a cover covering the engine, comprising: a
case which is attached to the engine or the cover and is provided
along a space formed between the engine and the cover; and a
circuit board equipped with a connector which is housed and fixed
in the case, wherein an inclined surface in which a height thereof
is large near the connector and small near a distal portion far
from the connector, is provided in the case.
2. An outboard motor electronic part unit according to claim 1,
wherein the circuit board is mounted with parts having large height
among circuit parts near the connector and with parts having small
height among circuit parts near the distal portion far from the
connector, so as to be housed in the case having the inclined
surface.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an outboard motor
electronic part unit.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] A conventional outboard motor is sometimes provided with a
V-type engine. An embodiment is explained with reference to FIGS. 6
and 7. As shown in FIG. 6, outboard motor 1 is detachably mounted
on a board (not shown) via attaching bracket 2. As shown in FIG. 7,
engine 3 is covered with cover 4 which is formed in a
cross-sectional tapered shape tapering to the rear side from the
front side along the shape of engine 3.
[0005] A side surface of engine 3 has attached thereto electronic
part unit 5 which is formed by arranging electronic control parts
of engine 3 into a unit and has a rectangular parallelepiped
shape.
[0006] However, in the above conventional art, in order to prevent
interference with the inner surface of the rear part of cover 4
with a square part of the rear part of electronic part unit 5,
electronic part unit 5 is required has its attachment position
adjusted or cover 4 is required to be molded a slightly larger.
Therefore, there have been problems in that the attachment position
of electronic part unit 5 is considerably limited and cover 4 is
enlarged.
[0007] For example, if electronic part unit 5 is not attached, it
is sufficient to form cover 4 which has a size shown by a
dash-dot-dot line in FIG. 7. If electronic part unit 5 is attached,
since cover 4 has a cross-sectional tapered shape, cover 4 is
required to be enlarged to the size shown by a continuous line in
FIG. 7 in order to avoid cover 4 interfering with the square part
of the rear part of electronic part unit 5.
[0008] On the other hand, if the height of electronic part unit 5
can be reduced, in other words, if the length of the part
protruding from engine 3 can be shortened, cover 4 is not required
to be enlarged. However, since discrete parts which require a
certain height are used on the circuit board in electronic part
unit 5, the height of electronic part unit 5 cannot simply be
reduced.
[0009] Furthermore, the above electronic part unit 5 is filled with
resin for waterproofing; however, the weight of the resin causes an
increase in the weight of the outboard motor, and this is a
problem.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] To solve the above problems, an object of the present
invention is to provide an outboard motor electronic part unit
which is able to be attached to a desired place of the side surface
of engine, and is reduce in size and is lighter.
[0011] A first aspect of the present invention is to provide an
outboard motor electronic part unit provided between an engine for
a boat and a cover covering the engine, comprising a case which is
attached to the engine or the cover and is provided along a space
formed between the engine and the cover; and a circuit board
equipped with a connector which is housed and fixed in the case,
wherein an inclined surface in which a height thereof is great at
the connector and low at a distal portion far from the connector,
is provided in the case.
[0012] For example, the engine may be referred to as engine 3, the
cover may be referred to as cover 6, the outboard motor electronic
part unit may be referred to as outboard motor electronic part unit
8, the space may be referred to as space 7, the case may be
referred to as case 9, the connector may be referred to as
connector 10, 11, or 12, the circuit board may be referred to as
circuit board 13, and the inclined surface may be referred to as
inclined surface 93a, which are described in embodiments which are
explained below.
[0013] According to the above structure, since the case has a small
height by providing the inclined surface, the space occupied by the
case can be small. Furthermore, the case can be provided in the
space formed between the engine and the cover without interfering
with the cover. Therefore, the limitation of the mounting position
of the case to the engine is decreased and the outboard motor
electronic part unit is smaller and lighter.
[0014] Furthermore, in the outboard motor electronic part unit, the
circuit board may be mounted with parts having a large height among
circuit parts near the connector and with parts having a lesser
height among circuit parts in the distal direction from the
connector so as to be housed in the case having the inclined
surface.
[0015] For example, the parts having a great height are referred to
as discrete parts 15 and 16 which are described in the embodiments
which are explained below.
[0016] According to the above structure, since the case has a
reduced height by providing the inclined surface, the space
occupied by the case can be small. Circuit parts can be mounted
along the inclined surface in the case, in which parts having a
large height among circuit parts are mounted near the connector and
with parts having lesser heights among circuit parts in the distal
direction from the connector.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken on line A-A in FIG. 6
of an embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line B-B in FIG. 2
of an embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of
the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of
the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present
invention or of a conventional example.
[0023] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line A-A in FIG. 6
of a conventional example.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] An embodiment of the present invention will be explained
with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 with reference to FIG. 6.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, V-type engine 3 for an outboard motor is
equipped with cover 6 via a bracket (not shown) so as to cover
engine 3 with cover 6.
[0026] In order to cover engine 3, cover 6 is formed into a tapered
shape having a planar cross section so as to be wide at a cylinder
portion placed at the front side and narrow at the rear side.
Therefore, space 7 is formed between engine 3 and cover 6, that is,
is formed at both sides of the rear portion, wherein space 7 is
formed into a tapered shape having planar cross section.
[0027] Outboard motor electronic part unit 8 to be mounted on
engine 3 is provided in space 7.
[0028] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, outboard motor electronic part
unit 8 is equipped with case 9 and circuit board 13.
[0029] Case 9 is mounted on engine 3 and is formed into a tapered
shape having a planar cross section so as to be provided in space 7
formed between engine 3 and cover 6.
[0030] One side of case 9, which is corresponding to connectors 10,
11, and 12 to be explained below, is formed as opening 90, and the
other side is closed. That is, opening 90 is formed by planar
bottom surface 92, upper surface 93, and two side surfaces 94 so as
to be open. Upper surface 93 is formed of inclined surface 93a
which is high at opening 90 and low at bottom surface 92, and
planar surface 93b which is formed continuously in parallel to
bottom surface 92. Case 9 is formed into a tapered shape when shown
from a side surface side. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, brackets
95 to be mounted on engine 3 are equipped on each side surface 94
and the other side surface 95 of case 9.
[0031] The height h between the upper surface of planar surface 93b
of upper surface 93 and the lower surface of bottom surface 92 is
less than the interval d at the portion corresponding to the above
cover 6 and engine 3.
[0032] Circuit board 13 is set by inserting it into engaging
portion 14 which is provided inside the other side 91 in case 9.
Circuit board 13 is equipped with connectors 10, 11, and 12, and
adjacently discrete parts 15 and 16 having a relatively large
height, such as a power transistor, power zener diode, condenser,
and the like, so as to be high at a front portion and low at a rear
portion.
[0033] Moreover, in the state of setting circuit board 13 into case
9, opening 90 opens upward as shown in FIG. 4, and resin 17 for
waterproofing is filled in case 9 as shown by hatching in FIG. 5,
and as a result, outboard motor electronic part unit 8 is
produced.
[0034] According to the above embodiment, outboard motor electronic
part unit 8 is formed into a tapered shape having a planar cross
section. Furthermore, since outboard motor electronic part unit 8
is provided in space 7 having a tapered shape having a planar cross
section formed between engine 3 and case 9, and is fixed to engine
3 by each bracket 95, interference between cover 6 for covering
engine 3 and case 9 of outboard motor electronic part unit 8, in
particular, interference at a rear portion side is prevented.
Therefore, outboard motor electronic part unit 8 can be mounted at
any desired place without limitation.
[0035] Among parts mounted on circuit board 13 of outboard motor
electronic part unit 8, connectors 10, 11, and 12, and discrete
parts 15 and 16 having a relatively large height are provided on
circuit board 13 so as to correspond to the opening 90 side of case
9 which is corresponding to the large cross-sectional area portion
of space 7, and other parts having a relatively small height are
provided on circuit board 13 so as to correspond to the small
cross-sectional area portion of space 7. Conventionally, case 9 is
formed into a rectangular parallelepiped; however, in the present
invention, case 9 is molded into a tapered shape which favors being
provided in space 7, so that outboard motor electronic part unit 8
can be small and lightened. Therefore, cover 6 can be small and
outboard motor 1 can also be small.
[0036] Furthermore, since outboard motor electronic part unit 8 is
formed into a tapered shape, in comparison with unit 8 formed into
a rectangular parallelepiped, volume of case 9 decreases and then a
required amount of resin to be filled decreases. As a result,
manufacturing cost decreases, weight of parts decreases, and also
fuel consumption is improved.
[0037] Moreover, since a cross-sectional area of case 9 increases
toward opening 90, when case 9 is filled with resin 17, as filling
is nearly completed, the liquid surface rise rate of resin 17
decreases. Therefore, resin 17 can be filled to a predetermined
position of the lower portion of opening 90 without loss.
[0038] If case 9 is a rectangular parallelepiped and has a uniform
cross-sectional area conventionally, in comparison with the
above-described, since resin 17 to be filled has a large liquid
surface rise rate, and it is difficult to stop filling resin 17
just under opening 90. Therefore, resin 17 must be filled into case
9 up to overflow.
[0039] On the other hand, in this embodiment of the present
invention, since the liquid surface rise rate of resin 17 filled
during the completion is low, it is easy to time the stopping of
the filling of the resin 17. Therefore, supplying resin 17 can be
stopped before resin 17 overflows. As a result, excess overflowing
resin 17 is not required. Since the volume of case 9 decreases, the
amount of resin to be used can be remarkably decreased.
[0040] Additionally, the present invention is not limited to the
above-described embodiment, and for example, any discrete parts can
be used as long as the discrete parts have a relatively large
height other than power transistor, the power zener diode, or
condenser.
[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper surface 93 of
case 9 is composed of inclined surface 93a and planar surface 93b ;
however, the upper surface may be composed of only inclined surface
93a without planar surface 93b.
[0042] Optionally, outboard motor electronic part unit 8 may be
equipped on cover 6.
* * * * *